Wood grinder



Marci 18 1924.

P. PR IEM WOOD GRINDER Filled Feb. 10. 1923 INVENTOR I F'HUL Paws v) JMJ A TTORNE Y6 Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES PAUL PRIEM, F HEIDENHEIM-ON-THE-I BRENZ, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR'IO AMERICAN VOITH CONTACT COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

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Original application filed June 12, 1922, Serial No. 567,778. Dividedand this application filed February .10, 1928. Serial No. 618,328.

To all whom it ma 3 concern.

Be'it knownthat I, PAUL PRIEM, a citizen of the Republic of Germany,'andresiding at I-Ieidenheim-on-the-Brenz, Germany, have 6 invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Wood Grinders, of which the following isa specification.

The present invention relates to wood grinders, and particularly to feeddevices for 10 advancing the wood blocks against the grind stone. Theinvention is particularly applicable to continuously operated woodgrinders as distinguished from intermittently operating grinders, andthe object of my 18 invention is to provide a mechanism which in,operation \increases the pressure of the feed devices upon the interiorof the charge by increasing the lateral thrust of the feed devices asthe latter approach the charge 20 toward the grind stone.

The present application is a division of my copending application SerialNo. 567 778, filed June 12, 1922, and is directed to the particularconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which thefigure illustrates in vertical section a grinder in which my inventionis embodied in a single specific form.

As pointed out in my copending applicaso tion above mentioned, thedevices in common use, prior to my invention, for continuously operatingpresses have commonly been of a type in which the charge in the hopperis advanced against the stone by means of feed chains provided withcross bars which travel upon the opposite inner faces of the hopper andengage the sides of the charge of wood blocks which are thus advancedtoward the grind stone. In this type of construction the chains move ina substantially arallel direction and do not press the blocks 1n thehopper as they advance toward the stone, the result being that theeffort of the feed chains is exerted with greater efiect at the sides ofthe charge than upon the mid portions of the latter. The presentinvention provides a feed device in which the charge is laterallycompacted by the feed devices as thechargeapproaches the stone, thelatenough pressure to advance the charge throughout its area withsubstantially uniform pressure at all points against the stone. Variousways of accomplishing this are illustrated my. .copending applicationabove eral thrust exerted being sufiicient to exert mentioned, and thepresent application is confined to a single specific form ofconstruction therein illustrated which has been found tobe eflicient inpractice.

As indicated in the drawing, the structure comprlses a pairofspacedstandards 1, in

which is journalled a shaft 2 carrying thethrough any appropriate arc.

In operation the wedge blocks gradually vary their inclination from adownwardly inclined position to a position more nearly horizontal. Thus,if the wedge blocks at the outset of their working travel assume anangle of 60 degrees from the horizontal, their speed of advance may beso much greater with respect to the speed of consumption of the chargeby the stone, that as the wedge blocks approach the stone. they assumean angle of only from to degrees. It is obvious that this change inangular position of the Wedge'blocks exerts a lateral compression of thecharge as it approaches the stone, so that a simultaneous forward feedand lateral compression of the charge takes place. The effective resultis a substantially uniform thrust of the charge throughout its entireworking area againstthe stone. The extent of angularvariation of thewedge blocks during their working travel may of ing t e latter againstdirection and thrust blocks mounted thereon and engaging a side of thecharge, and serving by variation of inclination as they approach thestone to compact the charge.

2. A feed device for wood grinders or the like, comprising a receptaclethrough which a charge may pass, and means for advancing the chargethrough said receptacle, said means comprising an endless carrier, wedgeblocks pivoted thereon and adapted to engage the charge, and means fordriving the carrier constantly in one direction and at a speed in excessof the advance of the charge whereby the angular position of-the Wedgeblocks with respect to the charge is varied.

3. A feed device for wood grinders or the like, comprising a receptaclethrough which a charge may pass, and means for advancing the chargethrough said receptacle, said means comprising a pair of endlesscarriers arranged on opposite sides of the charge, and a series of wedgeblocks arranged on said carriers and. engaging opposite sides of thecharge, together with means for, driving said carriers constantly in onedirection and at' a speed in excess of the advance of the charge tocause the wedge blocks to gradually approach each other, and thus tocompact the charge between the same. 7

4, In feed device for wood grinders or the likc. a series of wedgeblocks arranged on opposite sides of the charge, carriers on which saidwedge blocks are pivoted, means for advancing the carriers constantly inone direction and at substantially uniform speed in execs of the feed ofthe charge, together with supports against which said blocks exert theirthrust durin their work travel.

5. In a wood grin er, a hopper in which the charge comprises a series ofbillets, the longitudinal axes of which are substantially parallel andhorizontal, and a feed device arranged at'a side of the hopper which issubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the billets, saidfeed device comprising members advancing toward the stone and shaped toimpart both a forward feed thrust and also a lateralcompacting thrust tothe billets constituting the charge as the latter approaches the stone.

-6. In a wood grinder, a hopper in which the charge comprises a seriesof billets, the longitudinal axes of which are substantially paralleland horizontal, and a feed device arranged at a side of the hopper whichis substantially parallel to t-he'longitudinal axes of the billets, saidfeed devices comprising members advancing toward the stone, and changingposition with respect to the charge as they approach the stone to effecta forward feed and a lateral compacting effort upon the billetsconstituting ,the charge as the latterapproaches the stone.

7 7. The method of feeding achar'ge in a wood grinder or the like, whichconsists in applying to the charge a feed thrust to advance the charge,and converting at least portion of said feed thrust into a lateralcompacting thrust as the charge advances.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PAUL PRIEM.

